Yellow Horn is 2008 WHL Western Conference Player of the Year

Calgary, AB - The Western Hockey League today announced the WHL Eastern and Western Conference finalists for the 2007-08 WHL Player of the Year. The two finalists for WHL Player of the Year were determined through voting by General Managers, coaches, broadcast and media representatives of all WHL Member Clubs.

In the WHL's Western Conference, which includes the B.C. and U.S. Divisions, the Player of the Year Nominee is forward Colton Yellow Horn of the Tri-City Americans.

Yellow Horn enjoyed the best season of an already prolific WHL career in 2007-08 with the Tri-City Americans. The 20-year-old from Brocket, AB, scored a WHL-leading 48 goals while adding 49 assists for 97 points and a +19 rating in 67 games. Yellow Horn's efforts helped the Americans to a franchise-best 52-16-2-2 record for 108 points as the team captured the U.S. Division and Western Conference regular-season titles for the first time in franchise history while also winning their first Scotty Munro trophy as the WHL's top team in the regular season.

Yellow Horn led all WHL players with 20 power play goals and eight shorthanded goals, and also netted a team-leading eight game-winning goals, tying him for fifth in the WHL in that category. The 5' 8", 180-lb left wing also put together a 22-game point scoring streak from November 2 - January 4 for the longest scoring streak by a WHL player this season.

Yellow Horn began his WHL career in Lethbridge, playing three seasons with the Hurricanes from 2003-2006, and is in his second campaign with the Americans. Yellow Horn, a free agent, was selected to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star team.

In the WHL's Eastern Conference, which includes the East and Central Divisions, the Player of the Year Nominee is defenseman Karl Alzner of the Calgary Hitmen.

Alzner enjoyed an outstanding 2007-08 regular season with the Calgary Hitmen. The 19-year-old product of Burnaby, B.C., tallied seven goals and 29 assists for 36 points to go with a solid +26 rating in 60 regular-season games for the Hitmen. His efforts helped lead the Hitmen to a 47-20-1-4 record for 99 points as the team captured their first Central Division and Eastern Conference regular-season banners since the 1999-00 season.

Alzner was the anchor for a very deep Calgary defense corps that allowed an Eastern Conference-low 166 goals during the regular season. The 6' 2", 209-lb Hitmen team captain also drew only five minor penalties and 15 total penalty minutes in 60 games, despite logging large amounts of ice time in all situations.

Alzner, who is in his fourth season with the Hitmen, was drafted 5th overall by the Washington Capitals at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. The captain of Canada's Gold medal-winning World Junior team in December and January, Alzner is also the Eastern Conference nominee for WHL Defenceman of the Year, and was selected to the WHL Eastern Conference First All-Star team.

The WHL also announced today the WHL Eastern and Western Conference finalists for the WHL Humanitarian of the Year award and the WHL Marketing and Communications award.

The WHL's Western Conference finalist for the award is Mitch Czibere of the Vancouver Giants. The WHL's Eastern Conference finalist for the WHL Humanitarian of the Year award is Ashton Hewson of the Prince Albert Raiders.

The WHL's Western Conference finalist for the award is Brian Sandy of the Tri-City Americans. The WHL's Eastern Conference finalist for the WHL Marketing and Communications award is Kip Reghenas of the Calgary Hitmen.